Collapsible tent-pole.



P. F. VON AHNEN.

COLLAPSIBLE TENT POLE.

APPLicATloN FILED 0cT.29, 191'5.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

PAUL FREDERICK VON AHNEN, 0F GASPAR, CALIFORNIA.

COLLAPSIBLE TENT-POLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 191'?.

Appli-cation filed Getober 29, 1915. Serial No. 58,601.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL F. voN AHNEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Caspar, in the county of Mendocino and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CollapsibleTent-Poles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and eXact description of the invention7 such as will en'- able othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in collapsibletent poles and the principal object of the device is to provide a tentpole which may be constructed of a light tubing and which may becollapsed so as to occupy a minimum amount of space duringtransportation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pole which may beconstructed of a plurality of collapible sections, one of which isslidable into the other and which when in its open position will supporta tent.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which in itsclosed position may be readily packed in a comparatively small bundle7thus enabling the user to easily transport the device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel form oflocking the sections in their open position.

lNith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forthin the following specification and accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in elevation showing the device as it would appearwhen ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through a portion of Fig.

F ig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through one of thejoints illustrating the locking means. p

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section of the device when closed and readyfor shipment, and

Fig. 5 is a detail end elevation of one of the uprights, showing theridge p ole in place thereon, said ridge pole being in section.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates as an entirety one ofthe uprights consisting of the base member 2, which comprises a hollowcylinder in which the upper member 3 is slidable. The upper end of thecylinder is provided with a bayonet slot 4 and the upper end of theupper member 3 is hollowed out as at 5 and supports a central pin 6, forconnection with the ridge pole. The lower end of the member 3 isprovided with an aperture through which the lock ing pin 8 extends andthe inner end of this locking pin is attached to the free end of thespring 9 which is riveted or otherwise secured as at 10 to the inside ofthe member 3. It will thus be seen that the locking pin 8 is inovablyconnected to the member 3 so as to slide thereinto when the device islapsed position.

The ridge pole is designated generally by the numeral 11 and comprisesthe cylindrical central member 12 in which the side members 13 areslidable and these side members are formed at their outer ends with theheads 14 to which the pin is secured. The members 13 are also formednear their outer ends with the apertures 15 through which the pins 6 ofthe uprights extend. The ends of the cylinder 12 like the upper end ofthe base member 2 is formed with the bayonet slot 16 and the inner endsof the members 18 carry the locking pins 17 which are mounted therein ina manner similar to the mounting of the pins 8. It will thus be seenthat the locking pins 17 will coperate with the bayonet slot 16 inholding the device in its open position as do the locking pins 8 withthe bayonet slot 4.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a particularly simple andefficient ridge pole and upright is provided which may be readilycollapsed and when in collapsed position will occupy a minimum amount ofspace7 thus enabling the user to readily transport the same. It is to beunderstood that any number of collapsing sections may be provided and Ido not in any way limit myself to the particular number shown in thedrawings.

Vhile in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changesmay be made'in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed:

A supporting frame for tents comprising a pair of hollow standardshaving bayonet slots formed adjacent their upper ends, rods in itscoladapted to t into the ends of said standards, pins carried by therods and adapted to enter the bayonet slots, the ends of the rodsopposite those Carrying the pins being concave to provide ridge poleseats, pins extending from the ends of the rods and adapted to enteropposite ends of a ridge pole to hold the saine in place on thestandards, a ridge pole comprising a hollow tubular body, rods adaptedto lit into opposite ends of said body, the said body being providedwith bayonet slots adjacent its opposite ends, pins on the rods adaptedto engage in said bayonet slots to hold the rods in place in the body,the ends or' the rods opposite those carrying the pins being providedwith transversely extending bores to receive the pins of the irstmentioned rods whereby the ridge pole is held in position on thestandards, and buttons extending longitudinally from opposite ends ofthe rods when the device is in assembled position to provide supportsfor the thegny ropes of a tent.

In testimony whereof I affix iny signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Witnesses J. H. vomT AHNEN, I). I. MGMANUS.

Gopies of this patent may beobtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C.

